Jack {Four Months}

+ 16 lbs (68%) and 25.3 inches (63%)
+ Wearing 6-month clothes
+ Is so close to rolling back to front.  He can get his legs and tummy over but can't quite pull his arm through to get his shoulders over.
+ He's hit the dreaded four-month sleep regression and is waking up two or three times a night
+ Likes smiling.  Smiling is his favorite.
+ Giggles require a little more effort than smiles, but we're getting more and more of them
+ Is very alert and loves watching everything going on around him
+ Drools an insane amount
+ Likes: playing in his baby gym, watching his brother play, "talking"
+ Dislikes: being alone when he's awake, not being able to fall asleep because his brother is being loud (this happens a lot)

Nixon {2.5 Years}

+ 30 lbs and an undetermined height, because he wouldn't stand still long enough to measure.
+ Talking up a storm.  He may have had a slow start verbally, but he's more than making up for it now.
+ Is the hugest staller when it comes to nap time and bedtime.
+ The love of trucks, cars, trains, etc. is still going strong.
+ His hair is turning into a big mess, but I can't bring myself to cut off his curls.
+ He's gotten used to Jack, dare I say perhaps even likes him?  He loves to squish him give him hugs and will sometimes lay next to him on the floor during playtime.
+ Doesn't stop moving all day long, but still prefers to snuggle with his mama all night.
+ His current favorite game is filling up his dump truck and garbage truck with blocks (or any small toys) and dumping them back out.  Over and over and over.
+ He has a really creepy fake laugh that he likes to break out pretty often.  Like all day long.  We think it's hilarious.
+ Knows all the colors and most shapes.
+ Can count to the teens, although he usually takes a few creative liberties as far as the correct order.

Jack {Three Months}

+ Already growing out of his 3 month clothes.  Slow down Jack!
+ Still a great sleeper, most nights he sleeps until about five, and then goes back to sleep for a couple more hours after some milk
+ He is super smiley and nothing makes him happier than someone talking to him
+ He has become quite the chatterbox, and as soon as he has someone's attention he starts cooing away
+ Would be thrilled if he was held all day long
+ Gets his cheeks kissed about a million times a day
+ Loves to watch his big brother.  I can only imagine what kind of shenanigans they'll get into together.
+ Likes: napping in his swing, baths, chatting with people, snuggling, being swaddled at night
+ Dislikes: not being picked up right away when he fusses, tummy time

Jack {Two Months}

+ 13.3 lbs (85%) and 23.6 in (77%)
+ His head is only in the 57th percentile, so we'll see if he follows in Nixon's 99th percentile footsteps
+ Wears 0-3 and 3 month clothes
+ He's consistently been sleeping for eight-hour stretches at night, waking up around 4 or 5 to eat, and then usually going back to sleep for another couple hours.
+ We're getting more and more smiles from him, and he's starting to attempt some cooing.  So basically we spend all day making faces at him and talking in weird voices to try and get a smile.
+ After his bath his hair is super fuzzy and it's pretty much the cutest thing ever.
+ Loves: naps on Mama, his pacifier, baths, being swaddled, his swing
+ Dislikes: tummy time, having a dirty diaper

Jack {One Month}

Well, that month went fast.  Jack has been keeping busy being adorable and growing way too fast.  He likes to be in the middle of the action, although for the most part he sleeps through all his big brother's shenanigans.  When he's not sleeping, he loves to be held and cuddled.  Nights are going surprisingly well, usually with only one or two wake-ups.  Nixon is turning into quite the helpful big brother, he is always quick to give Jack his blanket, shove his pacifier in his mouth, or announce "Jack crying."

Things Jack likes: having uninturrupted snuggle time with mom while Nixon naps, warm baths, sleeping, drinking milk, being worn in the wrap

Things Jack doesn't like: getting out of the bath, having a dirty diaper

Jack {Two Weeks}

Little Jack is two weeks old already!  Despite a few sleepless nights and a bit of a learning curve when it comes to two kids requiring our attention, we couldn't be happier that this precious guy is part of the family.  Nixon is getting the hang of being a big brother and does a great job of giving Jack his blanket, announcing when Jack sneezes ("Jack choooo!"), and turning his swing on.  Aside from shaking his hand (seriously, cutest thing ever), he has yet to voluntarily touch Jack, which probably isn't the worst thing even if I have yet to get the cute picture of Nixon holding his baby brother.

Jack has been busy gaining weight and is already up to 9lbs 4oz, putting him in the 66th percentile for weight.  His length is 80th percentile, which explains why he's already outgrown most of his newborn clothes.  He's been a fairly calm baby so far, which I am extremely grateful for, and is even letting us get some pretty decent stretches of sleep at night.

He loves being swaddled, snuggling, drinking milk, and tripling the amount of laundry we do around here.  Things he's not a fan of are baths and being trapped in the car seat when he's hungry (can't blame him for that one).

Happy two weeks, Jack!

Nixon - Eighteen Months

Our little buddy is eighteen months old!  He is in such a fun stage right now and while he certainly keeps us on our toes, we're loving every second of it.

His latest acquired skill is climbing onto chairs (and subsequently tables and counters), and fairly often I'll turn around to find this...

His favorite place to be is standing at the kitchen counter and I love that he wants to help and be in the middle of all the action.  I usually give him a bunch of spoons, spatulas, and other random kitchen utensils and judging by his mixing skills, it shouldn't be too much longer before I can actually put him to work.

He's not saying very many conversational words yet (aside from "wow," which he says many, many times a day) but he can tell you what a kitty, dinosaur, sheep, and snake say.  Pretty much any four-legged animal is considered a kitty and will elicit an enthusiastic "meow!" Squirrel, dog, he's not picky.

Favorite foods: berries, carrots, grapes, tomatoes, cottage cheese, peanut butter toast, and pickles

Least favorite foods: zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, and eggs.

Favorite things to do: play outside, go to the park, help me vacuum, read books (he finally sits still long enough to actually read!), wrestle with Daddy, pull ALL his toys out without actually playing with them, and turn lights on and off.

Nixon: Fifteen Months

Fifteen months!  Nixon continues to be a busy, inquisitive, bright little toddler.  He is happiest when he's outside, picking up leaves and poking the dirt.  His little mind is soaking everything up and it seems like each day he's showing off some new skill he's learned (the latest one is opening flip-top bottles...no more letting him pull the condiments out of the fridge).

Things Nixon has been loving/learning/doing this month:

• We're entering the climbing phase.  Anything he can get his little leg up on (which isn't much...yet) he's on top of.
• When asked, he can show you where his ears, tummy, and tongue are, although most of the time he'll stick his tongue out in response to all three.  It must be more fun than patting his tummy.
• Every time we walk by the front door, we have to wave to Mrs. Birdie, who built a nest just outside the door.  Maybe there will be some baby birdies to wave to soon.
• He's finally starting to enjoy books apart from bedtime, although I'm not sure if he enjoys being read to or just likes turning the pages.

Nixon: 14 Months

Here we are at fourteen months already!  Nixon keeps becoming more of a little boy and less of a baby.  He is constantly on the move and hardly ever slows down, except to eat and nap.  He's got "Mama" and "Dada" down, but no other words yet.  He does "talk" allllll day long though, so I think he's close!  He's still extremely curious and loves helping me around the house, such as turning the vacuum on and off, handing me plates one-by-one from the dishwasher, or watching me cook (the mixer is his favorite).

We've been slooooowly transitioning him from co-sleeping to his crib (which is turning out to be just as hard for me as it is for him) and we have a long ways to go, but I know he'll make the switch when he's ready.  From day one his motto has been "co-sleep or no sleep" and I don't think he's ready to let go of that quite yet.  He's also transitioning from two naps to one.  After a few weeks of fighting naps, I finally gave in and tried dropping the morning nap.  And success!  He still takes a short nap in the morning if he's extra tired, but most days he just goes down right after lunch.  Someday we'll get this sleep thing figured out.

Things Nixon has been loving/learning/doing this month:

• Being chased, although he loves the being caught part the most, so most of the time he turns around or stops and waits until you catch him.  All while laughing hysterically.
• He totally gets the concept of peek-a-boo and "where's Nixon?" and will hide behind things and then peek out with an adorable smile. 
• Now that he's walking, he loves playing outside.  He mostly just walks around and pokes the bushes and picks up leaves, but we have been working on throwing a ball and he is actually getting pretty good at it.  
• Close on the heels of the sippy cup victory of last month, comes victory over the straw cup.  So many drinking options!!

While I was putting the groceries away, he reached into the fridge and helped himself to an apple

Nixon: Thirteen Months

Yes, I realize I'm a bit late posting Nixon's thirteen-month update.  I'll blame it on the fact that I spend all my time chasing after the thirteen-month-old in question and rarely have time to sit down anymore.  This child is BUSY.  He is walking everywhere and getting into everything and exploring anything that he possibly can.  This is such a fun stage he's in right now and I love seeing what new shenanigans he gets into every day.

Things Nixon has been loving/learning/doing this month:

• He has completely embraced walking, and now that he's able to stand up without pulling up on something, he rarely ever crawls.  I fully expect him to start sprinting any day. 
• After months of trying, he has finally mastered the sippy cup.  He only had a bottle a handful of times, which I'm guessing is why it was so tricky for him. 
• He's discovered how to throw things in the trash.  I have to watch him carefully lest his toys, sippy, or random kitchen utensil end up tossed.
• The dishwasher continues to fascinate him and he loves helping me empty it.  And yes, I have to be quick or plates will end up on the floor (so far nothing has broken, so I guess our system is working)

Nixon: Twelve Months

Can we just take a moment to marvel at the fact that this little guy is one year old???  I guess he's not so little anymore.  Each day he looks more like a toddler and less like a little baby, which both hurts my heart and makes me so excited for this next stage.

At his twelve month check-up yesterday, he weighed in at 24 lb, 8 oz and measured 30 inches tall, putting him in the 76th percentile for both weight and height.  His head is still in the 99th percentile.  At least it's still on the charts!

What he's been up to lately:

• Walking!  He took his first steps a couple weeks ago, and has been slowly but surely getting better and more confidant.  Crawling is still his method of choice most of the time, but if we stand him up he'll usually take steps until he loses his balance.  
• Speaking of crawling, he occasionally crawls backwards (which is hilarious) and when he's on a mission to get somewhere he'll put his head down and go full speed ahead.  Yes, he sometimes runs into things when he does this. 
• Seven teeth so far, with an eighth one just starting to peek through.  
• He eats three meals a day, but still nurses quite a bit as well.  He isn't showing any interest in stopping anytime soon, and I'm totally okay with that.
• If he doesn't want a particular food, he will deliberately drop each piece off his highchair.
• He's learned how to turn around and slide feet-first off the couch.  This is a huge improvement from his previous head-first attempts.
• He's learned how to shake his head no, but we're still not sure if he understands what it means.  Occasionally he uses it correctly, but mostly he just does it all the time.

Nixon's faves this month:

• Cheese - he would eat cheese all day long if I let him (for the record, I don't).
• The fridge - the inside of the fridge is a magical and mysterious place, and if he hears the door open, he drops what he's doing and power crawls as fast as he can.  If he makes it before I close the door, he stands there staring at everything until I pull him away so we stop wasting energy.  Perhaps he knows the cheese is in there.  
• The dishwasher - not quite as fascinating as the fridge, but still worth thoroughly inspecting and sometimes attempting to climb in to.
• Roughhousing with Daddy - nothing gets more giggles out of him than wrestling on the floor with Daddy.

Nixon: Eleven Months

Our little man is only one month from being a big one-year-old!  It's unbelievable how quickly the time has flown by, but as always we are having so much fun watching Nixon grow.  He is a very busy little guy, and sitting still is definitely not an option most of the time.  There's way too much stuff to explore!  I spend my days following him around as he pulls things off shelves, empties laundry baskets, scatters his toys, and opens all the cabinets we haven't locked shut.  He hasn't attempted walking on his own yet, but he loves walking with help.  His record for standing on his own is about six seconds.

He's eating three meals a day and is still having fun with eating, although he recently figured out how to purposely drop food on the floor if he doesn't want it.  Not a habit I want to encourage, although it can be pretty funny, especially when he uses his whole arm to sweep everything off his tray.  He has seven teeth so far and with the amount he's drooling, I'm guessing there are a couple more on the way.

Nixon's faves this month:

• Walking with his lion walker
• Emptying the kitchen cabinets
• High-fives - he loves getting high-fives

Nixon: Eight Months

This month has been a big one for Nixon in terms of achievements.  Most notably, he's on the move!   Once he got the hang of crawling, he's become unstoppable.  As soon as I set him on the floor, he's off to explore whatever catches his eye first.  He's also mastered maneuvering into a sitting position on his own.  He still loves standing, and while he can't balance on his own yet, he's pulling up on anything he can reach.  This kid is going to be walking before we know it!

We're still struggling a little with sleep, but we're slowly finding a nap routine that works.  Hopefully consistent nighttime sleep will follow.  There are no issues whatsoever with eating, however.  This boy loves his food!  No teeth yet, so chewing is still a little tricky, but he manages.  He has no time for purees anymore, feeding himself is the only way to go!

Nixon's faves this month:

• Peek-a-boo - but just using your hands doesn't cut it, at the least you have to hide behind the couch.
• Crawling - or at least being able to get places on his own.
• Broccoli - probably his all-time favorite food currently.  I hope it lasts.

Trying on winter clothes to see if anything still fits.  Obviously, he was thrilled.

Taking a break from crawling to do some baby yoga.  He's a pro at downward dog.